Trial begins against ‘Tren de Aragua’ criminal gang in Chile

(ANSA) – SANTIAGO, CHILE, APRIL 22 – The first major local trial against the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization ‘Tren de Aragua’ began today in the city of Arica, in northern Chile. These are 38 alleged members of the so-called ‘Los Gallegos’ clan, accused of serious crimes ranging from murder, drug trafficking, extortion, human trafficking and exploitation of prostitution. For 11 of these the public prosecutor is asking for a life sentence. Due to the dangerousness of the group and the risk of escape, the Chilean authorities considered it necessary for the defendants to attend the hearings from prison, in virtual mode. The activity of the Tren de Aragua in northern Chile, on the border between Peru and Bolivia, and its very existence have recently been the subject of a strong diplomatic clash between the governments of Gabriel Boric and Nicolas Maduro. From Caracas he often downplayed the extent of the problem and the Foreign Minister, Ivan Gil, even went so far as to deny the very existence of the organization. A declaration, the latter, forcefully rejected by Boric’s government dealing with a drastic increase in crime rates in the country. (HANDLE).